[NPFX 80] Beyond Your Rating: How Trust and Transparency Win Donor Attention (with Kyle Gardner from Charity Navigator)
As donor demographics shift and concerns regarding data-sharing practices grow, nonprofits are facing a significant challenge in maintaining the trust of an increasingly skeptical audience. Many leaders are now asking: How do we prove our impact with true transparency to earn long-term, continued support? In today’s episode, host Russ Phaneuf welcomes Kyle Gardner, SVP of Development with Charity Navigator, to dig into the hard truths behind donor skepticism and discover where the greatest opportunities for rebuilding trust currently lie. Tune in to learn practical steps for auditing donor privacy policies, the benefits of "opt-down" email features, and strategies to create durable, repeatable stewardship.
Episode highlights include:
Navigating the "Wild West" of data sharing and its impact on donor skepticism.
Why "earning continued support" is the most pressing challenge for modern fundraisers.
The critical importance of auditing your donor privacy policy to prevent loss of trust.
Implementing "opt-down" features to protect donor attention without losing the relationship.
Using Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys to turn "brutal feedback" into organizational growth.
Moving beyond "shiny pennies" to build durable and repeatable stewardship processes.
Why handwritten postcards still outperform digital noise in first-year donor retention.
The value of a "personal board of directors" for the next generation of nonprofit leaders.
Digging into your CRM to become a "student of history" for your organization.
Finding hope in the curiosity of young donors and a "community of learning" within the sector.
Listen here:
Guest
Kyle Gardner, Senior Vice President of Development with Charity Navigator, leads his team in raising the resources needed to expand the breadth and depth of the organization's charity ratings and other giving resources. Before joining Charity Navigator in 2017, Kyle was in electoral politics, fundraising for candidates and political committees. Kyle has proudly held his CFRE accreditation since 2021. Kyle earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Kansas. In his free time, Kyle enjoys spending quality time with his wife, three kids, two dogs, two cats, and five chickens, as well as rooting for his Kansas Jayhawks and Kansas City Chiefs.
Host
Russ Phaneuf, a co-founder of IPM Advancement, has a background in higher education development, with positions at the University of Hartford, Northern Arizona University, and Thunderbird School of Global Management. As IPM's managing director & chief strategist, Russ serves as lead fundraising strategist, award-winning content creator, and program analyst specializing in applied system dynamics.
Additional Resources
Charity Navigator Nonprofit Portal
Subscribe to NPFX
Follow us on:
